LEE'S LIFE OF NAPOLEON. •
DID any or e ever read all that has been written about NAPOLEON BONAPARTE? Is this task necessary even to his biographer? If nct, what portion of it ? Can the general reader gain an accurate idea of the early circumstances, education, training, character, and exploits of the hero of Marengo and the author of the Code, with less pains than the writer of his life must devote to them ? The difficulty of answering some of these questions—the visions of print which most of them conjure up—is sufficient to show that an able, complete, and impartial Life of NAPOLEON, embraced in a moderate compass, would deserve, and most probably receive, en- couragement. This is the object Mr. LEE proposes to accomplish; as well as to expose the errors or misrepresentations of other writers, more especially of Sir WALTER Seorr. In the words of his own measured style, "The general impression, that an impartial end accurate biography of the Emperor Napoleon does not exist, and that Sir Walter Scott, in his Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, did injustice to his subject, authorizes an endeavour to supply that defect and repair that injustice. In the body and appendix of the work, the first volume of which is now submitted to the public, this double object is attempted. " The fame and amiableness of the Author of Warerley, since they give int- portansv to his errors and effect to his detraction, are far from alleviating his faults as an historian. His name is less glorious than that of Napoleon; his memory less sacred than truth."
The First Volume only of this undertaking is at present pub- lished; and it brings down the life of NAPOLEON to the com- mencement of the campaign of Italy. The biography itself, how- ever, occupies fewer pages than one half of the volume, and in point of matter very much less than half. In the text, Mr. LEE judiciously tells his own story ; and throws his proofs, his disqui- sitions, and his controversies, into the appendix. The biography will not take high rank as a work of art. The author has not a genius equal to his theme : but, apparently deeming that lofty exploits require a lofty style, he has generally eschewed simplicity, and spoken too much in "King Cambyses' vein." His facts are better than the mode of narrating them ; though his leaning to BONAPARTE is obvious. In the account of the family and birth of NAPOLEON, his school-days, his first entrance into the army, and his various services till his appointment to command the ar- tillery at the siege of Toulon, Mr. LEE tells little indeed that is not well known, and that little only concerns matters of detail. The discussion of his alleged distresses in Paris, the disrepu- table opinions in relation to his marriage, and some points regard- ing the campaign in Italy, are most important. The new biographi- cal light Mr. LEE has thrown upon the career of NAPOLEON is, how- ever, from March 1794 to October 1795—i.e. from the surreoder of Toulon until his appointment to the command of the troops des- tined to oppose the sections of Paris. In all the other biographies we remember, this eventful period is either unmentioned or slob- bered over. The hero passes, hocus-pocus fashion, from a com- mander of artillery to the confidential officer of the Convention and Directory in an attack affecting their existence; and then to the chief command of the army of Italy. Mr. LEE, by narrating in detail his services in that army under DUMERBION, and the reputation and influence he thence acquired with the officers and the Depu- ties—his dissatisfaction with the ruling powers at Paris about promotion, his squabble with the Minister of War, and his sub- sequent employment in the office of his successor in advising upon the operations or the artnies—has put an end to all the wonders of his career—to the luck, the chances, and the tales of BARRA&S patronage. The Life of BONAPARTE now reads like a connected story, where we can trace each successive step ; and where we find that the principal share which Fortune had in ths business of his advancment, was in casting him upon the troubloue times of the Revolution, when military merit of all kinds was wanted. It was his character, his abilities, and acquirements, which first gained him consideration and employment ; and they enabled him to take advantage of favourable circumstances, not only by distinguishing himself at the time, but so to act as to make each step lay the foundation of others which should follow it. His course was to do all he could, to do it as well as he could, and to do it without regarding who might reap the credit. The chapter in which the events we hate alluded to are narrated, does not well admit of detached extracts. The result of the whole is im- portant, but no part is very striking. Here, however, is the climax—a narrative of the circumstances which led to BONA- PARTE'S appointment to command the Conventional forces.
In the course of the night and the next morning, the Goverumt nt delivered arms to the few well-affected citizens of all parties who voluntet r al their ser- vices, and placing them under the command of general Berruyer, attached them to General 5leuou's regular force. During the same time, the section Lepelle- tier, in conjunction with seven others, declared itself to be in a state of rebellion, and took instant meuures for rousing the whole city to ar.ns. Its leaders des- patched emissaries, and itounded the tocsin throughout Paris; and the people,
inflamed and deluded, seized their arms, and hastened to the places of rendezvous..
I The Convention, upon this, decreed their session to be permanent, and charged their appropriate committees with the maintenance of public order. The mea- 1 tire committee, composed of the committees of public safety and general security, then proceeded to direct that the section Lepenstier should be instantly disarmed
by military force. About eight o'clock in the evening of the ad, General
Menou, who commanded the army of the interior, accompanied by the three . representatives of the people who were in attendance as commissaries of the Convention, proceeded, at the head of a strong force, with a detachment of cavalry and two pieces of cannon to carry this order into execution. The force of the section was drawn up in the court of the convent des Filles St. Thomas, at the head of the street Vivienne, where the Exehange is now situated. Their parties occupied their windows of the street, and the interior of the convent. Alenou entering this street from that of St. Honore, marched towards them, and got his hoops wedged into this long and narrow space, where neither hie horse nor his infantry could act to advantage. Afraid to advance, and ashamed to retire, the general and the deputies resorted to words. They summoned the insurgents to obey the order of the Government. to deliver up their arms, and retire to their !vanes, But they gained as little by parley as by force; for Delalot, the leader of the rebels, nut only refused obedience to the summons, but delivered an inflammatory harangue to the troops, in which he boldly de- clared, that force alone should deprive the citizens of Paris of their arms. Instead of ordering a eharge, Menou and Ilk council of deputies, were glad to enter into a compromise, by which the insurgents agreed to disperse themselves, if Aleuou would first. withdraw his troops. This capitulation enabled the regular troops to retreat, and the insurgents to maintain their ground, continue their violence, defy the Government and proclaim their triumph. Fortunately for the Convention, the taste of Bonaparte for dratnatic entertain- ments had led him that evening to the theatre Feydeau, which is close by the Lead of the street Vivienne. Infinmed of the threatened conflict, he left the theatre for the purpose of observing this more important scene. He witnessed the unfortunate check of the Government force, and, by a natural movement of concern and curiosity, hastened to the gallery of the Convention to see what would be done to repair it. Ile firund that assembly in the greatest agitation; the comniissaries, who had accompanied Menou in order to shrift the blame from their own shoulders, were accusing the absent general of treason. On their representation, Menou's arrest was decreed ; and, of consequence, a suc- cessor seas to be appoiuted. The danger was great; and the Intelligence of every moment proved that it was increasing. Varioue members proposed different commanders—some Ban-as, some Bonaparte; the leading thermidoriens the former, because of his activity in the defeat of Robespierre; the commie. re of the army of Italy and the members of the committee who were iirdaily inteicourse with him, the latter, because of his military talents, and energetic, but moderate character. Attending in the gallery, he heard these suggestions, delibeiated Whether he should accept a service, which, from Menou's fate, was not inviting, might prove more distasteful than the war of Vendee or the mobs of Toulon, might bathe him deep in civil blood, and blight for ever his hopes of serving his country. But, reflecting, that if the insurgents succeeded in overturning the Government, the proposed improvement in the constitutien of the country would fail to be effected, and the royalist, or foreign party, would gain the ascendancy, and surrender France to the coalition, he resolved, if he could, to defend the Convention.
Having come to this decision, Bonaparte repaired to the executive committee, told them he had been a witness of the affair in the street Vivienne, and that the deputies were more to blame than Menou was; assuring. them it would be im- possible fur him, should helm appointed to command the troops, to execute their orders on this critical occasion, with his hands tied by a commission of deputies. The members of the committee, struck by his confidence, were convinced by his representation ; but it was not in their power, without exciting a debate, for the issue of which there was not time, to procure a decree of the Convention innovating their long established custom so completely, as to send forth a general in chief unattended by a deputation of their own body. In this exigency, they devised an expedient, which, while it conformed to their rule, obviated its in- convenience. They resolved to nominate their colleague Barras as general in chief of the army a the interior, and to appoint Bonaparte second in command; so that while Barra was ti have the attendance of the deputies, Bonaparte was to take the direction of the troops.
The text is incomplete without the commentary. The following is part of Mr. LEIS note upon the subject, in which he refers to his own authorities, and discusses the truth of Scorr's narrative.
This account of the manner in which Napoleon came to be placed in com- mand of the forces of the Convention on the 13th Ventlemiaire, is derived from his own relation of that event (Monthulon t. iii, ch. 3), from the files of the Moniteur of that period (folio for the last six months of the year 1795) and from the proces-verbal of the Convention (t. lxx, p. 232, et t. lxxii, p. 16). The narrative of Sir Walter Scott, in reference to this subject, has evidently been constructed of very different materials. It is as follows (v. iii, p. 74). The general management of affairs, and the direction of the conventional forces" (says this inventive historian) " was then committed to Barras ; but the utmost anxiety prevailed among the members of the committee by whom Government was administered, to find a general of nerve and decision enough to act under Bar- ass in the actual command of the military force, in a season so delicate, and times so menacing. It was then that a few words from Harms, addressed to his colleagues Carnot and Tallies, decided the fate of Europe for well nigh twenty years. "I have the man," he said, "whom you want ; a little Corsican officer, who will not stand upon ceremony." The acquaintance of Barras and Bona- parte had been, as we have already said, formed at the siege of Toulon." "On the recommendation of Barras, Bonaparte was sent for." It is needless to insist on the direct contradiction to which this fabrication is exposed by the declara- tion of Napoleon, that he had no acquaintance with Barras at Toulon, and that he went, of his own accord, to the committee ; because there is one fact which ought to have satisfied Sir Walter that his story, whether formed by his own fancy, or furnished by some unmentionable slanderer, could not be believed by any person of common sense. It is, that Carnot and Tallien, with the know- ledge of Barras, were members of the committee, with which, for many weeks, Napoleon had been in official and coustaint communication. It is impossible, therefore, that to men thus situated, Barra, could have ejaculated the sudden discovery here ascribed to him, respecting the birth, stature, or character of Napoleon, or that, had he done so, Carnot and Tallien would have committed the safety of themselves, their families, their friends, and Government, when they were under "the utmost anxiety," to an obscure officer, thus suddenly and queerly remembered. What renders the remark more incredible, is, that Napoleon, instead of being an obscure "little Corsican officer," was personally known to a number of the leading members of the Convention, as the umet
dii- *inguishned officer of his rank iii the army."
Had all been written in the style of these extracts, there would have been no occasion for the remark already hazarded, or for much observation upon the appendix. As it is, however, it must be said, that the majority of its notes are too long, especially as some relate to small matters. What is worse than diffuseness, many of them are composed in a had spirit—a spirit of detraction, and with it disposition to cavil ; whilst the greatest violence seems reserved for doubts or details, as the fiercest tirades of the old annotators related to commas. In his zeal for NAPOLEON, the author some- times tortures a joke of Scorr's into a wilful libel, and appears disposed, in his zeal for his hero, to make little allowance for mistakes or misapprehensions. We state these things plainly, because they can easily be rectified in the future volumes: and these volumes we shall be glad to see—not because we think Mr. LEE will produce a complete Life of NAPOLEON, or supersede the best of the Biographies now existing, but because we have little doubt that his keen and active research, and his ingenious spirit of partisanship, will throw some ,new light even on a subject ap- parently so exhausted.
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